


nothing's going to happen to you.

by kurinhyi



Category: Lego Ninjago
Genre: Season 8, specifically baby wu because thats like. the only valid wu
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-08
Updated: 2019-11-08
Packaged: 2021-01-25 09:53:47
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,230
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21354343
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kurinhyi/pseuds/kurinhyi
Summary: they've lost wu once. cole's going to make sure it never happens again.a piece based off of season 8 for the better ninjago zine.
Comments: 2
Kudos: 34





	nothing's going to happen to you.

For as long as Cole could remember, Wu had always been someone incredibly important to him. 

Wu had approached Cole in a time of need. When his mother had passed, there was very little Cole could do to cope with the fact. He had tried time and time again to approach his dad and spend time with him - yet, Lou would brush him off in favor of performing. He understood that people needed time to process everything - but it was just too much for him to handle. Lou had grown to be forgetful, and to a certain degree… neglectful of his own son. Although Cole was never truly alone, as Lou would come home during the nights he had no shows to be putting on - Cole had never felt so alone as he did in the few months after his mother’s death. 

Climbing mountains had always been something that Cole would do with his mother whenever given the chance. Lou never liked it - as he had feared something terrible would happen to them, but it was an activity Cole and his mother did to bond. To say that Cole wasn’t attached to his mother would be an understatement. He had never felt more loved and welcomed as he did when spending time with her. Maybe that’s why Cole started climbing mountains again after weeks of losing his mother - when he knows he should probably be staying at home to make sure the house is clean. 

Besides - if his own father wasn’t going to do it, then he might as well do it alone. Right? 

Cole would never forget the day he climbed to the highest point of the mountain him and his mother had been climbing for ages now - feeling rather accomplished that he was able to do it all on his own. He had almost forgotten that he was alone, as just as he was about to turn and look towards the figure that should be standing right next to him... he spots the elderly man sitting in the center of the rubble, calmly taking a sip of his tea as he turns his attention towards him. He notices the man’s lips curve upwards into a smile, and he places the teacup down to the floor below him. 

_ “Hello.”  _ He greets him, and Cole frowns - clearly taken aback that someone had beat him to the punch. 

This was the mountain he and his mom had promised to climb together one day - this was supposed to be his mountain. Not somebody else’s.  _ “How did you… What? Who are you?” _ He asks, in an almost offended tone as his hands drop to his side. 

The elderly man only gives Cole a calm smile, choosing to ignore the state of offense that the teenager appears to be in.  _ “That may be a question that I should be asking you.”  _ He speaks, his words falling upon confused ears. Before Cole gets a chance to speak, however, the man stands, clearing his throat as he continues his train of thought.

_ “Why did you climb the mountain?”  _

There were many reasons why Cole climbed this mountain, and he knew of it. This was  _ his _ mountain- the one that he and his mother climbed together daily, before unfortunate circumstances occurred and he hadn’t bothered going back for so long. Cole would focus a majority of his time making sure that his and Lou’s house was in good condition-- spend a good chunk of his time tending to the things his own father wouldn’t do. It frustrated him to no end and back, and although he wasn’t quite ready to tackle climbing this specific mountain again… he figured it would be a good way to get time to pass by faster. 

_ “...I just...lost someone.” _ Cole speaks, after giving it a few seconds of thought. He avoids staring at the man, as his eyes scanned their surroundings. _ “And… my dad. He doesn’t even care. He spends all his time singing and dancing with this group… and he leaves me to do all the chores.”  _

The longer Cole talked about it, the angrier he got at the thought.  _ “How could he act as though everything’s alright-!? I don’t get it!” _ Cole snaps suddenly, a tight feeling in his throat slowly making itself known. A few fingertips brush against his throat, and he takes a small step back, almost as if he was ashamed for having blown up on a man he didn’t even know.

_ “People mourn in different ways.” _ Before Cole can even get a chance to apologize for his sudden lashing out, the stranger before him speaks and catches him off guard. Cole only stands there, listening to his words as he tilts his head to the side in pure confusion.  _ “Some people sing and dance, others climb mountains.”  _

Cole can feel the man’s eyes on him as he speaks the last line, and finally, he turns his gaze up towards him. Their eyes meet, and Cole’s mouth only stays just a tad parted. _ “...Then why did you climb?”  _

_ “To find you, Cole.”  _ Wu’s statement comes in rather quickly, and although initially surprised that he seemed to know exactly who he was when they had only made eye contact for just a few, short seconds, Cole couldn’t help but smile to himself.

The memory of when Cole first met Wu would run through the earth elemental’s head more often than he’d like to admit. Especially during times like the past few weeks - when Wu had suddenly disappeared after rescuing Kai and Nya from the Time twins just a little while ago. He can’t entirely remember the last time he saw everybody after Wu’s disappearance- save from Jay, who was adamant on coming to travel with him in his search for their teacher.

There was no denying that there were plenty of things that Wu did that clearly upset Cole, or the other members of the team. He was always cryptic with his lessons, and at times, would get them into more danger than they should likely be in. Wu was a rather frustrating person to be around, and Cole was the first to admit it. He was never the type to just accept any form of mistreatment, and preferred to be the first to call it out. Yet, despite all the hardships that Wu had put him and the team through… 

He was still someone important to him.

It was why he was willing to separate himself from the team to search for him.  _ (Of course, with Jay following after him because he couldn’t help but worry. Jay was always insistent on saying Cole acted headfirst without thinking often, when in reality - that was the furthest thing from the truth. Cole suspected Jay had only followed because he didn’t want to imagine being away from him for too long, but that’s a subject for another day…)  _ It was why after time and time again of coming across false lead after false lead, Cole grew more frustrated as time passed. He would only blame himself for being unable to lead him and Jay to any clues for the answers to his questions. It was frustrating beyond belief, why was it so dang hard to find the answers he needed-!? 

He didn’t get it! Was he doing something wrong? Why did every lead he thought he had lead him back to square one? He just wanted answers! He just… 

… 

Never in a million years would have ever thought that those answers would come to him in the form of a  _ baby _ .

Cole leans his head back against the wall behind him, bringing in his knees in as close as he can as he pulls in Wu close to his chest. He shuts his eyes, a heavy sigh leaving his lips before his eyes flutter open and he finds himself staring down at Wu- who only looks up towards him with a look of curiosity in his eyes. 

It was odd. Even though Wu was just a baby at this point, it only highlighted the look of concern that he was giving him. He could recognize that look anywhere, especially more so on a child who’s features just vaguely represented the elderly man that Cole had grown more used to. A small smile tugs at the corners of Cole’s lips, as he leans his head back against the wall again and clears his throat. “I’m fine.” He says, though his voice is soft. 

At the response, Wu frowns. Gripping at the earth elemental’s shirt, Wu pulls himself up using as much strength as he can to bonk his hand against the side of Cole’s forehead - clearly not happy with the answer he was given. 

“Owch- Hey! What was that for!?” Cole retorts in shock, as he holds the area of his head that Wu had managed to land a hit on. The “attack” didn’t exactly hurt- it was just something that he wasn’t expecting to be happening anytime soon. Really, it just reminded him of all the times that Wu would tap his staff against his head if he had been goofing around during training… 

Cole can’t help but laugh at the thought of it. 

Wu only stares at Cole in confusion as he laughs. A baby at his age can only keep their attention and focus on something for so long. It seems as though he’s already forgotten the entire reason as to why he tapped his head in the first place, as he laughs alongside his former student and throws his arms up in the air, his body rolling alongside with them. 

“Woah!” Quick to wrap an arm around Wu’s body, Cole flashes a smile towards his former teacher as he straightens out his legs and clears his throat. “You gotta be careful there, Young Wu.” The word  _ young  _ paired with the name  _ Wu _ almost brings a chuckle out of the earth elemental. Holding it back, Wu stares up at him in curiosity, not even registering that he could’ve hurt himself just a few seconds ago. 

“If you’re not, you could get hurt.” The words roll off of Cole’s tongue, and his expression drops.  _ Of course they didn’t want him getting hurt _ , he thinks to himself.

_ This is who’s supposed to be there for us through thick and thin _ , Cole thinks, his hands hovering just a little away from Wu’s body, just to keep him sitting upright. 

This was the man that he had been searching for on countless sleepless nights for months straight. Who would have thought that he’d be under his nose this entire time? Cole certainly didn’t think that would be the outcome at all. Just staring at him-- his smiling, curious face, staring up at him, blissfully unaware of the circumstances that he had found himself in ( _ or maybe he did know. This was Wu, after all - the man was known for leaving behind cryptic messages, and vague answers to questions. He was a mystery, and as frustrating as that was… Cole almost missed it. _ ) - he felt a bit of tightness in his throat.

_ Oh, come on, Cole, _ he tells himself. 

_ He’s safe. You don’t need to worry anymore.  _

_ You aren’t going to let anything happen to him, anymore.  _

...Yet, he can’t help but worry. Although at the current moment Wu was just a baby, there was so much on the line that was at stake. The fact that Wu was a crucial part to Harumi’s plot of reviving Garmadon filled Cole with fear. Something that he would never admit to the rest of the ninja. He was the stone cold, serious, earth elemental user - he had an image to keep up. Even if the ninja could tell when something was bothering him, considering they’ve known him for quite a few years and know him just as well as he knows the back of his own hand, he never wanted to drop his guard and show that more sensitive, scared side around the others. He wanted to keep it as repressed as he could. 

Cole lets out a sigh, his hands pressing lightly against Wu’s back. He brings him towards his chest, closing his eyes as he drops his head and allows himself to relax his back more against the wall. “I’m not gonna let anything hurt you, Wu. You hear me?” His voice is soft - almost motherly, as he speaks.

“You’ve been there for me and the others all this time. I don’t think you can understand what I’m saying to you right now, or if you’ll even remember it when you grow into the old Wu that we all know and remember…” He stops, allowing himself to get lost in his thoughts for just a few seconds. Wu was aging a lot faster than he had expected...Just a few days, and he can already walk and speak basic phrases? Man, being a parent was _ hard _ . 

But that’s not the point here. 

“I’m not going to risk losing someone close to me again.” His eyes open, and immediately, he finds himself making eye contact with Wu’s bright, curious, and worried blue eyes. He can’t help but smile. It’s funny, really… Cole never really thought he’d be the type to have such a soft spot for children.

Maybe it’s because Cole can recall his happiest moments growing up involved his mother when he was just a young child. Spending time with her, helping her with cooking, the chores… Climbing mountains. He was old enough to remember the day when she passed, and old enough to remember all the things she did that made him feel so _ loved _ . 

Lord, he missed her. 

_ This isn’t a time to reminisce _ . 

“You’re going to be safe.” Cole finishes up his thoughts, pressing his forehead lightly against Wu’s. He smiles, as the sounds of his contagious giggles fills the room, and he can’t help but to laugh along with him. 

There is no way Wu understands the words coming out of his mouth, Cole comes to realize. If he does, then there’s no way he’s going to remember any of the sappy things he had just said. Yet, that was fine by him. 

It was something he had been keeping in far too long, anyhow. If he was going to have to say it, he’d rather say it to someone who won’t even remember it. 

However, as Cole is just about to get lost in his own train of thoughts, the sound of a soft yawn pulls him out of it. He turns his attention down to the baby held in his arms, just in time to see Wu rub at his eyes and nuzzle against his chest. The action catches him off guard, admittedly - not having yet gotten used to being so close with a young child who more than likely saw him as his main caregiver. The thought of it almost makes him laugh- odd, isn’t it? The person he saw as his primary caretaker being the one who needed to be taken care of… 

“You tired, lil Wu?” Cole asks, and Wu babbles typical baby sounds as a response. 

Oh, yeah. He gets it. 

Adjusting his positioning so he can hold Wu in a more firm, yet comfortable grip, Cole pushes himself up off the ground and puts his free hand on his hip. “Let’s get you to bed. I don’t know what’s going to happen tomorrow, but whatever it is...you’re gonna need a lot of rest.” Cole more or less muses to himself, as he glances around the room he’s in. In the middle of the room rests the makeshift crib that the others had made for Wu when Cole first brought him in as some mysterious baby that nobody knew of. As he walks over to the crib, he feels Wu nestle up against his chest, his hands gripping at the fabric of his gi - he can tell that he’s closed his eyes against him, and at any moment could doze off. 

Gently prying Wu’s hands off of his gi, and making as little movement as he could to pull Wu away and down into the crib, Cole grabs the blanket and pulls it over his small body, a smile forming on his face as he watches over Wu slowly drifting to sleep.

“Goodnight, Wu.” He makes sure to speak in a quiet, soft tone, not wanting his usual loud and booming voice to startle him awake. He sits there, his hand resting against the side of the crib, his smile dropping as he allows his hand to slide down the crib and down to his side. 

Until he’s sure that Wu has finally fallen asleep, Cole stays by his side to watch over him. Realistically speaking, Cole knows that for now - they’re in a safe place. There’s absolutely nothing that could bring potential harm to Wu, but he can’t help but be overly cautious. He had searched for him high and low, and now that he was in his sights-- he was going to make sure that nothing happened to him again.

Especially when he’s mysteriously at this age. 

“Cole?” He hears the sound of a familiar voice calling out to him - when had the door opened? He didn’t even realize! Turning to glance over his shoulder, Cole locks eyes with Kai, who only appears to be looking at him with a look of concern on his face. Quickly, Cole brings a finger up to his lips, as if to tell Kai to  _ be quiet, Wu just fell asleep and you are  _ ** _NOT_ ** _ going to wake him up.  _

The expression on Kai’s face immediately drops, instantly getting the hint that Cole was throwing at him. He mouths a silent ‘ _ Sorry, _ ’ as he takes a step back and out of view from Cole’s vision. 

Cole rolls his eyes, before turning his attention back towards Wu. Upon seeing that he was still asleep, having not been disturbed at all, Cole takes a quiet step back. He’s unable to tear his eyes away from the crib, almost as if he was afraid that if he were to look away, then something would happen and it would be the last time he’d ever see him again. Until he takes a step back and finds himself no longer in the room the ninja had specifically designated for Wu, Cole sighs. He reaches his hand out for the knob, pulling the door towards him - but not closing it. 

“Everything alright, dude?” Kai speaks up, though his voice is soft. 

For one reason or another, Cole had almost expected Kai to not be there. He was surprised to find that Kai had waited for Cole to step out, but at the same time… he shouldn’t be. This was just how Kai was. Cole nods, leaning his back against the nearest wall as he closes his eyes. “Yeah, everything’s fine.” Cole says, though the tone of his voice says otherwise. 

“You’ve been with Wu this entire time, though. We haven’t seen you all day.” There’s a clear tone of worry in Kai’s voice, and Cole is quick to catch it. Raising a brow, Cole opens his eyes, tilting his head to the side curiously.

“Didn’t think you’d be the type to worry about it, honestly.” Cole offhandedly mentions, as he can’t help but chuckle. “I’m only kidding, Kai- but really, everything’s fine. Just…” Cole peers over his shoulder, taking a glance at the open crack of the door to look at the crib. 

“You’re scared, aren’t you?” Ignoring Cole’s oh-so  _ rude  _ comment, Kai takes a step closer towards him. Placing a hand on his shoulder and feeling the larger man in front of him jump in place, Kai smiles once Cole turns his attention towards him, a smile that he hopes will comfort the guy who would never openly admit to being afraid of something. 

Just as Kai suspected, Cole stays quiet at the question. Cole can only stare into Kai’s eyes, his lips parted as if he wanted to say something, but couldn’t bring himself to say anything. “...No, I’m not.” Cole finally says, through a bit of hesitation. “I just…”

“You don’t want to lose him again, huh?” Kai asks, his hand never leaving Cole’s shoulder. 

Again, Cole stays quiet. He averts his gaze, now refusing to look Kai in the eye as he tried to find the right answer to say. Cole was never the type of person to admit fear, or when something didn’t sit right with him. He crosses his arms over his stomach, almost as if he were hugging himself, and continues to stay silent. He didn’t want to admit that Kai was right, and wanted to continue to prove that he could be the brave one in this situation. But… Kai was right, and there was no denying it. Kai’s hand tightens its grip around Cole’s shoulder, startling him out of his thoughts, and Cole himself staring into Kai’s eyes. 

Again. 

“It’s okay if you are, y’know. You have nothing to hide. We’re all here for you.” Kai says, finally retracting his hand from Cole’s shoulder.

Cole says nothing in response. 

“and...I get it.” This catches Cole’s attention. He glances towards Kai through his peripheral vision, but doesnt turn his head to look at him. 

“Wu pushed Nya and I out of the ship so that we could escape and get away safely. He’s only the way he is because of us, really…” As Kai says this, he looks through the cracked door and smiles upon seeing the crib. Even though he can’t see Wu from where he stands, knowing that he’s there and sleeping safe and soundly is enough to put his own anxieties he’s hiding from everyone at ease. 

“But he’s safe now, Cole. We’re somewhere no one will be able to find us at!” Kai extends out his arms, turning his attention towards Cole with the smile on his face never leaving. “So you don’t need to worry. Just get some rest, dude. Who knows what’s going to happen tomorrow.” 

Kai doesn’t expect Cole to follow after him, or take his words to heart value. But he lowers his arms, and takes a few steps back. “I’ll be in my room if you need it, alright? Goodnight.” Kai spins on the heel of his foot, giving a simple wave towards Cole. “See you tomorrow.” 

“...Yeah.” Cole speaks up, finally. With his arms still over his stomach, Cole gives a faint smile as his gaze stays focused on the floor below him. “Goodnight, Kai. See you tomorrow.” 

It takes him a few seconds. Logically speaking, he knows that Kai is right- nothing will be happening to Wu, and it’s okay for him to leave for a few hours to catch some sleep. Kai was right, they had absolutely no idea what was going to happen tomorrow. He needed as much rest as he can get, even if it’s just for a few hours. Something was better than nothing, and he knew this. But the thought of something happening to Wu while he left to get some rest… it tore him up on the inside. So much so, he can’t help but to peek inside of the room Wu rests in, before he takes a step inside and grabs a chair near the door. Bringing it up to the crib to watch over Wu, Cole is careful as he leans his arms against the side of it, resting his head against his arms as his gaze never tears away from him-- until his eyelids grow heavier, and heavier, and heavier… 

**…**

**… … **

**… … ….**

“Cole, are you--” Kai slaps his hand over his mouth upon seeing the scene in front of him. It was as early as five AM- a time he didn’t like to be awake at, but had no other choice but to be. They could afford to sleep in a little bit, but Kai had grown worried over the earth elemental when he’s come to realize he never returned to his room. But upon seeing Cole with his face in his arms, and his arms resting against Wu’s crib, sleeping soundly... ( _ in fact...this was the more peaceful Cole has ever looked, now that Kai thinks about it… _ ) He can’t help but feel bad. 

However, his outburst doesn’t awaken Cole, and Kai lets out a sigh of relief. 

Taking a step back, Kai pulls the door and shuts it as quietly as he can. It had been far too long since he had seen Cole look so content with anything ever. 

Yet, Cole was a man who refused to admit when he needed help - someone who never let his personal feelings be known to anything ever. Kai could tell that the safety of Wu was something important to him, and he couldn’t rip that away from him.

In fact, nobody could.

Wu was an important person to Cole - if not, the most important person to Cole. He had lost far too many people in his life than he could count, and it was something that was deeply hurting him. Losing Wu, someone that guided him and helped him out of a bad spot in life when he needed it most was something that Cole could never forget…

_ ..and it was something he was going to make sure it never happened again.  _

**Author's Note:**

> this was something i had written for the [better ninjago zine](https://better-ninjagozine.tumblr.com/), which, if you haven't already checked out, you should! everyone did their part so well and i loved getting a chance to be apart of it. 
> 
> i decided to focus on cole's relationship with wu for my piece, and had a Real fun time doing so c:


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